this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2024
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[–] sleepyplacebo@rblind.com 4 points 1 week ago

Thank you for posting this :). It is only fairly recently that games have began to add accessibility options and it is great to see. There is still much progress to be had on this front though.

Even for people who are legally blind and have some limited vision the UI, game elements and fonts are often too small. Some games have addeid increased font sizes lately but it always seems like they are several points too small despite being put under accessibility options.

For some games with motor control problems it would be nice if games had easier modes designed for people with disabilities. People with a variety of differences such as visual impairment, dyspraxia and autism sometimes have trouble with reaction time. Removing timers, allowing a person to skip a part they cannot do, and aim and combat assist would help some of these issues. Along with things like audio cues, software controlling the character but still allowing the player to complete the parts they can complete, and the ability to remap as many buttons as possible could help some users experience at least some aspects of a game even if they could not play it in normal mode.

Additional suggestions might be that games offer a button to reorient the character in the direction they are supposed to go and perhaps have a program kinda guide them. The video game The Last Of Us 2 apparently had something somewhat similar though I have yet to try that game. I may buy it for the steam Christmas and new years sales.

High contrast modes, bolder text and not using cursive writing would help some users. You could have sound cues that guide the player towards items that need to be examined or interacted with frequently. Life Is Strange series gamed are an example where this is badly needed.

Games could implement a sound when the player needs to dodge an attack like in certain fighting games.

If your in a game where you do a lot of walking and jumping there could be audio cues for when you need to jump. Text to speech is a big thing too when reading signs, books and other items you find in adventure games.

On a side note, some parts of games could be made easier as an optional mode for people with cognitive differences. I have seen games where if the game was made just a little more obvious what you needed to do, users with differing ability's could benefit more.

It is frustrating to play something for hours trying to complete actions that your disability prevents you from. Additionally if your legally blind or low vision the small UI and fonts make it so you have to strain your neck in order to see. This leads to pain and gaming is supposed yo be a relaxing leisurely activity, not painful and frustrating.